Sunday, June 14

How to Make Limoncello

I have featured my dad so many times on my blog I should start paying him. He graciously shared how to make traditional Italian pepper biscuits and pizzelles. He even not-so-graciously demonstrated how to crack the shell of a mammoth 14-pound lobster (the guy's got good biceps). Today he's back to show you how to make limoncello, the uniquely refreshing lemon Italian liqueur.

Limoncello is not difficult to make, but you have to plan ahead; the lemon and orange rinds need to soak for 48 hours. Give yourself 3 days -- 2 for soaking and 1 for the processing and freezing. The actual hands-on time is short, so don't be scared. Plus once you taste that tantalizing sweet-tart lemon, you won't care how long it takes to make. It's like Del's lemonade for adults (that's for my RI readers).

Soak lemon and orange peels in a bowl filled with pure alcohol, and cover with a plate for 48 hours.

Strain alcohol, and discard peels.

In a very large pan, mix milk, sugar, whiskey, and vanilla. Bring to a boil.

Lower the heat. The liquid should bubble as shown above. Keep stirring, and don't take your eyes off of it. If left unattended, it will overflow. Trust me. Then it will take you hours to remove the impossibly sticky lemon mixture off of your stove top. You'll curse me forever, and I couldn't live with the guilt.

1. In a large bowl place lemon and orange peels. Pour pure alcohol over the peels. Soak for 48 hours on the counter top. Note: It's helpful to place a plate on top of the peels so they don't float to the top.

2. Strain lemon and orange alcohol; discard peels. Pour alcohol in a heavy bottomed large saucepan and add milk, sugar, whiskey, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then reduce until just bubbling, for 5 minutes. Stir continuously, and keep a close eye on it so it does not boil over. Remove from heat and let cool completely. A thin film will form on the top of the limoncello. Using a large spoon, skim it and discard. Then pour limoncello through a fine mesh sieve.

3. Pour into bottles and freeze. Note: We use plastic containers, which are safer to handle than glass. Keep in freezer at all times. Shake before using.

I've also never made it with milk...how long does it keep in the freezer? I can't imagine anything with milk lasting too long, but it sounds very intriguing and defnitely not as time consuming as my last attempt...which took 4 months.

I have to agree with my sister-in-law when she says that her dad makes the best limoncello. There is nothing better than having an incredible meal at her mom and dads and then ending the night with this tasty treat. This drink is especially wonderful on a hot summers night relaxing with family and friends.

I have several concerns: 1.In Washington State I don't think Everclear or a reasonable substitute is available. 2. Does it matter what kind of whiskey we use? 3. Can the vanilla be added AFTER cooking the milk mixture; is it really important to cook it? My thinking is the flavor would disappear with cooking.

I made my own limoncello once but it had no milk in it-sounds like a sort of pina colada. My recipe: A bottle of 90 % spirits-some people use vodka. Next you must get the peel off of a dozen lemons or so and, this is important, get off as much of the white part of the skin as you can as this can lead to bitterness. This is a real pain in the neck and took me a long time. The peel is added to the liquor and a glass container- This mixture sits in a dark, cool place for 40 days, rather like Noah.

I marked my calendar and removed the mixture at the end of the time and it had turned a lovely yellow color. Then you make a sugar syrup with 4 1/2 cups of sugar and 5 cups of water that boils for 5 minutes, gets cooled down and then added to the lemon mixture. At this time-I misread the recipe-you add another bottle of the alcohol. Then it is another 40 days into the closet.

Take out the peels and strain the mixture and put it into cute bottles. I didn’t have any cute bottles so I reused the alcohol bottle and a couple of wine bottles. Good stuff.

william- 1. Any pure alcohol will do. 2.Nope, any whiskey. 3. I understand your concern. Either way is fine. You don't really taste the vanilla much anyway.

Linda-Wow! 80 days? I haven't heard of one that takes quite that long. I'm sure it's wonderful, but I like the quick method. Then I don't have to wait as long to drink it! :) Thank you so much for sharing your version with us.

Sue, I have read all of the comments by your readers and am delighted that they almost unanimously are going to try it. They will not be disappointed believe me. As some said it is very good used in many ways - drizzled over fruit salad, ice cream and most any dessert. Water can be used instead of milk. Although less rich it is not as good. Everyone enjoy. Also happy anniversary to you and Jeff. Love DAD

I made this to have ready for Easter (all 8 gallons lol), and what a hit it was! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! By far the best limoncello we've ever had. I soaked meyer lemon peels in the grain alcohol for a month and what a delicious flavor it gave! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your family recipe, it will now become an Easter tradition for our family :).

mrscars-I'm so happy you and your family loved it and feel honored that it will become an Easter tradition. I just spoke with my dad on the phone and he said maybe he'd try the longer soak in the future. Cheers!

A word of caution that this mixure is extremely flammable! Keeping a close eye on the bubbling pot is not sufficient if the pot isn't large enough to accommodate the rapid increase in volume as it reaches a boil. We had not just a sticky mess to clean up but nearly lost the whole kitchen as the mixture suddenly overflowed, caught fire on the gas burner, and spread. Use a pot twice the volume of the ingredients, keep a box of baking soda handy, and as Susan says, don't let it out of your sight for a second.

I just finished your recipe! I made this for my boyfriend's birthday today & started soaking the peels last week. (Your picture is even still more yellow than mine!)

I've never had Limoncello before, but it's yummy! It tastes almost too sweet, but maybe that's because it's not cold yet?

Also, I had a problem with curdling. I didn't have a very good fine mesh sieve, so I used cheese cloth and strained a bunch of times. It's finally pretty smooth & creamy...yuuuum! Thank you for sharing!

Hi there! I've been soaking my lemons for about a week, but the alcohol does not look yellow. I had to use 100-proof vodka b/c they don't sell EverClear in PA. Any idea? It smells lemony but no color. Do you think I can add a drop of food coloring? I'd like to make the mixture this weekend for holiday bottles. I'm increasing the recipe 2.5 times and giving lots of gifts.

robin-Some batches are really pale yellow; it just depends on the lemons. I have never added food coloring, but I can't imagine it would hurt it since it's flavorless. I say try it! And I'm so happy you love the orange cauliflower mac n cheese! Thanks for letting me know.

My wife and I made limoncello from a recipe that was given to us by her great aunt. It involves an 80 day process! Your dad's recipe has some different ingredients and the addition of milk in that other version is really interesting. I'll have to try that.

I just made this and it is AMAZING! I thought 10 cups of Sugar was way too much, but its not. The vanilla and the whiskey give it depth. Mine turned out beautifully yellow and devine.

I zested the lemons and oranges, it was easier to avoid the white pith that way, and I didn't need a plate to hold them down. I also soaked them for about 3 weeks give or take, the peels were almost white.

I was so freaked by the comment about boiling over, so I used a candy thermometer(it boils at 180 degrees).

It was not big deal, just stir, stir, stir, and make sure your pot is big enough. Mine was not, so I brought it all to about 170 degrees, poured half into another pan and just finished it off in two batches.

Anyway, Cheers! This will be an annual (or bi-annual) recipe in my house! Thanks, Food Blogga!